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UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION. 

SCHOOL LEAFLET FOR 

A POTATO CAMPAIGN 




WASHINGTON, D. C. 

March, 1918. 



Have potatoes used in tlio Kchool lunches. Get the tenchcrs to write 
recipes on the bhickboard, asking children to copy them and take them 
I home. These recipes should be furnished to the schools by the com- 
mittee, if needed. 

Ask the teachers of Domestic Science to teach the making of potato 
dishes. 

Start a potato essay contest, a small prize to be awarded and the 
I best essay to be published in the newspapers. 

Get the story " The Little P>rown Prince." 

Introduce the subject of potatoes into chisses. A history of the po- 
tato industry followed by study of distribution and output; a study 
of soils suited to potatoes, varieties, tests of cooking (|ualities: ])riu- 
ciples of heal in cooking po!at<.>i's. The teacher can secui'e assistance 
from a farmer who has studied agriculture. She may consult the 
Chamber of Commerce or the farm bureau manager for facts regard- 
ing distribution. 1 he children slionld go luinie enthusiastic about the 
potato situation to arouse the intei'est of the rest of the family. They 
will the moi'e readily agree to the potato ])rogram in the diet. 

By all means secure the cooperation of the department of Homo 
Economics iu (he schools of your territorj'. 

534L>C°— IS 



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FIVE LESSONS ON POTATOES FOR ELEMENTARY GRADES. 



LESSON I. 



I )isonssii)n. 

Hislovy iif l'()ti\t<). 

(Jradiuil Increase of Use as Food. 

I'respiit Siijiply in the Uuiteil 
States. 
l.:il>(init<ir.v worU or (leiaonstration. 

I'otato Soii|). 



Notebook work. 

Draw polato, noting particularly 

locution of " eyes." 
Draw cross section of potato. 
Copy recipes. 



LESSON IL 



Discussion. 



Value of )iotatoes 

Starcli. 

Mineral salt.s. 

Bulk. 

KconoMiy. 

Mild flavor. 

Variety of 
ble. 
l.alior.-'tory work or 

Baked stuffed potatoes. 
Scallo[ie(l [potatoes. 
I'otato hi.scuits. 



Dis 



food. 



preparation possl- 
denionsl ration. 



Notebook work. 

Give points to be considsred in 

selectin.i,' potatoes for seed or 

for consumption. 
Size. 

Depth of eyes. 
Sluipe. 
Skin. 
Copy recipes. 



LESSON III. 



Metliods of cooUlnu: potatiM's. 
Losses in preiiaration for cooUin^ 
Losses in conkini;. 
Lalioratory work or denionstr-alion. 
Boiled potatoes. 
Mashed potatoes. 
I'iilato omelet or potato puffs. 



Notebook work. 

Write a stor.v telling why wheat 
sliould be saved by American 
people and why the Food Ad- 
ministration is urging people to 
use potatoes. 
Coj)y recipes. 



LESSON IV. 



Discussion. 

Production of potatoes. 
Time of plant in.s. 
Selection of seed potatoes. 
Preparation of soil. 
Plautins. 
CuUivatin.u:. 
Sprayinp:. 
Harvesting. 
Storing. 

Steiis from the producer to the 
consumer. 



Lalioi-atory work or demonstration. 
(U'eamed potatoes. 
Au gratin. 
Notebook work. 

Write the story of the life of a 
potato, beginning with the soil 
in which it is to be grown. 
Copy recipes. 



LESSON V. 



rOT.VTO DAY I'R(M;K.\M (Oue Hour). 



Kxhil)it. 

Largest potato which can be se- 
cured from homes represented 
ill the school. 

Plates of potatoes — five on each 
l)late — selected by the cliiklrcn, 
the potatoes to be judged on the 
basis of the liest potatoes for 
home consumption. 

Notebooks. 

Song — America. 

Best composition written in Les- 
son 4 read by the writer. 



Exhibit — continued. 

Patriotic recitation selected by 
teacher. 

Best C(nnposition written in Les- 
son 3 read by the writer. 

Song — selected. 

Explanation of judging of pota- 
toes in exhibit — by the judge. 

Dialogue — The Patriotic Potato 
(copy attached). 

Song — The Star-Spaugled Banner. 



D. of .^. 
JUN 13 iStS 






LETTER TO TEACHERS. 

Followiiif; piiiiits to l)e iiicliuled : 

1. Ciiiises of jiresent surplus of potatoes. 

I'atriotic response of farmers last year. 

Severe winter. 

Con.uestion in transporlation. 

2. Neeessit.v for inniieiliale use of llie surplus of potatoes. 

Perislial)lo proiluet. 

Substitute for niucli-ueeded wlieat. 

3. Need for conservation of wlieat and feasibility of sul>sti( ution of potatoes. 

4. Sui;sestions for use of attached lessons for the potato canipaijjn. 

Not necessar.v to use all of the material suggested. 

Adapt suggestions to local conditions, age of children, size of classes. 

etc. 
Example: For primar.v grades give sentences instead of compositic^ns. 

Use plenty of pictures. 
Hectograjih <iutlines of pictures suitable for notebooks may lie gi\en 

to the chiUlriMi to color. 
If laboratory work is impractical give simple demonstrations. 
Recipes may he jirepared by the teacher with the help of the children 

as a part of the noon lunch. 

5. Cooperation of teachers in potato campaign a patriotic service. 



RECIPES. 
POTATO SOUP. 



] i teasjioons salt. 

< 'clery salt. 

I'epper. 

I'ayeniie. 

1 teaspoon choiiped parsley. 



2 cups hot rlced or ninshed potatoes. 

1 quart milk. 

2 slices oiuon. 
" tablespoons butter. 
2 tablespoons flour (rice flour or ci>ru 

flour). 

Scald the milk with the onion: retiiove the onion; add the milk slowly to 
the potatoes. Melt the butter: add to it llie dry ingredietits ; stir tlie inixfure 
until it is well blended. .\dd this to the liquid mixture, stirring it constaiilly, 
and boil the souii for one minute. Strain it if necessary, add llie parsley, and 
serve it. Water saved from cookin.g celery is a good addition to potato soup. 
Two cups of tomato ,1uice and iV, teaspoon of .soda may be substituted for 2 
oups of milk. 

B.\KEn POTATOES. 

Select potatoes of uniform size, scrub them with a vegetable lirush, and bake 
them for 45 minutes, or until they are ten<ler. If they are overcooked they will 
be so.ir.g.v rather than mealy. Crack llie skin, or pierce it as sooti as Ihe iiotatoes 
are done, to let out the steam and ia-(>venl soggine.ss. 

BOILED POTATOES. 

Select potatoes of finiform size, scrub them with a vegetable brush, and drop 
them into boiling salted water. Cook them with the cover of the kettle a.jar 
.just until they are fender, about 20 or ?,() minutes. Draiti off the wafer imme- 
diately, afid slip off the skins with a sharp paring ktiife. If flie iiot.-itoes are 
not to be served itnmediately. cover tliem with a clofli, which will alisorb the 
moisture, atid place them where the.v will kce]i warm. Overcooking and stand- 
ing in water makes a soggy, unpalatable potato. 



STUFFED POTATOES. 

Cut baked pof.-itoes in half, remove the fiulp, fiiasli it, add enoimh milk for 
the usual consistency of hashed potatoes, and season it with butter, salt, atid 
pepper. Fill the cases with tlu.s mixture, dot the tops with butter <ir brush 



them with milk, and l)ake them for 8 or 10 minutes in a hot oven. Potatoes:; 
may be stulTeil in the morning anil lieated at noon or in the evening for dinner.!; 

Variations. — To tlie mashed potatoes, before tlie cases are filled, may be addedii 
any one or a combination of tlie following : ij 

a. Beaten white of egg {1 egg to 3 medium-sized potatoes). 

b. Orated clieese H cup to 3 medium-sized potatoes). 

c. Chopped meat (4 cup to 3 medium-sized potatoes). 

d. Chopped par.sley (1 tablespoon to 3 medium-sized potatoes). 

SCALLOPED POTATOES (COOKED). 

Remove the skin from boiled or steamed potatoes and cut them in slices 
inch thick. Arran.ge the slices in layers in a buttered liaking dish, covering 
each layer with milk. Season with butter, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the top 
will] buttered crumbs and bake the potatoes for abtjut 20 minutes. 

SCALLOPED POTATOES (RAW). 

Pare potatoes carefully to prevent waste as much as possible. Slice then 
idiont J inch thick, and arrange the slices in a buttered baking dish in layers 
sprinkling each layer with flour, butter, salt, and pepper. Pour over the top 
enougli milk ,1ust to be seen throiigli tlie top layer. Bake the dish in a mod-i 
erale oven until the jiiitatoes are tender, from -15 to (iO minutes. 

CREAMED POTATOES. 

Boiled or steamed potatoes may be sliced, diced, or, if small, left whole and| 
served with a white sauce. 

POTATOES AU GRATIN. 

Put creamed potatoes into a buttered baking dish, cover the top with buttered! 
crumbs, and bake the dish in a moderate oven until it is browu on top, about| 
2.5 minutes. 

Index E-31 



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